Rail unions sue over rule blocking engineers with DUIs

Two railroad unions have filed suit against New Jersey over a law that forbids engineers from operating trains if they have had their motor vehicle driver's license revoked or suspended for drunken driving.

The law was passed over the summer in the wake of revelations that a New Jersey Transit engineer was operating commuter trains despite losing his license to drive a car for 10 years for repeated drunken driving.

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The lawsuit was filed Monday in federal court in Trenton and claims the issue is already covered under federal railroad laws.

The unions say the state law is unnecessary. They're asking the court to declare it is pre-empted by the federal law.